Leave or Stay?
by lateBloomer04
Summary: Agent Scully is wondering if she should quit the XFiles.  For she's madly in love with Agent Mulder, but she's afraid to tell him her true feelings.  But when Krycek holds Mulder at gunpoint, about to kill him, Scully's actions surprise even herself. MSR
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The X-Files doesn't belong to me – it belongs to Chris Carter who better be hard at work on the second XF movie as we speak!

Spoilers for the episode 'Triangle' (6X03) in Part III.

A/N: I'm a bit stuck with my Pirates fic, so I decided to try my hand at something else. This is actually based on a dream that I had two nights ago, believe it or not. It's my second XF piece, but the style of writing is really different from my usual fare. shrugs I have to warn you, it's really fluffy and then also angsty in places. I hope you enjoy – this one is dedicated to all you 'shippers out there.

_Leave or Stay? _

(Scully P.O.V.)

_10:39 Mulder's apartment, room 42 _

"Don't move; I'm a little on edge!" Former agent Alex Krycek pointed his shaking gun at Mulder, who automatically raised up both hands in the air. So far he had ignored me – it seemed his quarrel was with Mulder.

"Alex, we were friends once," Mulder said quietly. "You don't have to do this. Just put the gun down and we can talk about whatever is-"

"Shut up!" Krycek screamed at Mulder. "Give me your weapon." Then he looked over at me. "Both of you." _Ah, so he had noticed me._ Knowing we had no other choice, Mulder and I slid our weapons across the floor towards Ratboy, who kicked them out of the way. Then he motioned at Mulder. "Stand up. Hands up against the wall. Now!"

Krycek trained his gun on Mulder, who did what he was told. Mulder craned his neck to look at me. He shot me a panicked look that was half desperation, and half concern for me. The man had a gun shoved in his face, and yet he was still deeply worried for my safety. I stared at him in horror, my eyes betraying my fear. My heart was pounding in my chest; I'd never been so afraid for my partner. Mulder was in terrible danger and there was nothing I could do to save him! All I could do was watch helplessly as Krycek held Mulder's precious life in the palm of his hands…

_How the hell did we get into this situation?_ I wondered this as Krycek continued to yell angrily at Mulder. My thoughts drifted to earlier this morning, when Mulder and I arrived in our office as usual, ready for another long day of work…

333

_9:04 the same morning, F.B.I. basement, X-Files division_

I arrived at the office bright and early. It was Monday morning and I had wanted to get a jump start on things. I was rummaging through the file cabinet, looking for some old records, when Mulder strolled in.

"Good morning, Scully!" My partner flashed me his swoon-worthy smile, causing those hated butterflies to flutter in the pit of my stomach. He certainly was looking delectable this morning. This morning? Hell, he looks that way every morning. But this morning, wearing that black suit, white shirt, and dark green tie, he was looking especially gorgeous. And sharp. Not to mention sexy! I shouldn't get carried away. After all, my relationship with Mulder is purely platonic. That we would be anything more is just a fantasy of mine. But what a fantasy...

"Morning, Mulder." I smiled back, realizing there was something different about him. Ah, that was it – he was wearing glasses! I hadn't seen Mulder wear glasses in six years; he only wore them around me that first year of our partnership. And it made me rather weak in the knees. "You're wearing glasses," I stated. He rolled his eyes, perhaps embarrassed that I noticed.

"Yeah. One of my contacts broke this morning, and I'd already used up all my spare ones." He grimaced, his lips coming into an adorable pout. "I know, I look like a dork." I shook my head.

"I like them," I admitted. "It's a good look for you, Mulder. You should wear them more often." He gave me a lopsided grin, as if he was amused by my comment. A faint blush showed on my cheeks, I'm sure of it. Had I said too much? I hoped not. An awkward silence followed, and I searched my brain for something to say to him. Then I remembered where he'd been all weekend.

"How was your weekend trip home?" _Nice recovery, Dana._ Mulder sighed, running his hands through his messy brown hair.

"It was alright, I guess. It was good to see Mom, but she got a bit annoying after awhile. She kept hinting that she wanted grandchildren."

Mulder stared intently at me, there was an underlying emotion in his soulful dark green eyes that I couldn't quite identify. Why was he giving me that look? Mulder knew all too well that I was left barren after my abduction. It was almost as if he was insinuating that… _No. Stop it, Dana, _I thought sternly. _Mulder doesn't see you like that, not seriously anyway. And even if he did, you couldn't bear him children. _

But I could love Mulder forever, if he'd let me. _Keep on dreaming, Dana, _I reminded myself._ You could never tell him how you felt, since it would only lead to rejection. You wouldn't want that, it would be just too devastating. Just having Mulder's friendship is more than enough… _Yeah, right. That's a lie if I ever heard one.

"Did you remind your mother that you'd have to find someone who would want to settle down with you first?" My tone was light, joking even, but I regretted saying the words the second they left my mouth. But by then it was too late to take them back. Immediately, I knew I had hurt Mulder. I could see it in his eyes, how they lost much of their sparkle.

"Mulder, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean it like that," I stammered. "I was just-" Thankfully, I was interrupted by a shrill ringing noise. _Whew, saved by the phone!_ Of the two of us, Mulder was the one who had the presence of mind to answer it.

"This is Agent Mulder…uh huh. Yes. I see. Okay, we'll be there. Bye." He hung up the phone. "Skinner wants to see us in his office." I frowned.

"Right now?" Mulder nodded.

"He said it was urgent." I winced. Being called for a meeting by our boss first thing in the morning was not usually a good thing.

"I hope we're not in trouble," I worried aloud. Mulder cracked a smile that reached his eyes, and I knew he had forgiven me for my insensitive comment.

"Unless there's something you're not telling me, I doubt we're in trouble. C'mon, let's go see Skinner."

He held the door open for me, then and we took the elevator up to AD Skinner's office. The young blonde secretary showed us inside Skinner's office, and I couldn't help noticing how she was appreciatively eyeing Mulder. I sent her a disapproving frown that clearly said, _back off, you airhead bimbo – he's mine._ She seemed to have gotten the message, because she glared at me, and then retreated to her desk. I grinned smugly. _That's right. Score one for Mrs. Spooky. _

Thankfully, Mulder was oblivious to all of this. Skinner joined us in his office moments later, and he wasted no time beating around the bush.

"I've just received a call that a woman who you were investigating, Mrs. Smuskiewicz, was murdered late last night." Mulder and I both gasped. When we had come to call, she had begged for our protection, claiming that she was being stalked by aliens. Mulder, of course, had no trouble believing her. I, on the other hand, wasn't convinced that this was an X-File. Not by a long shot. Mulder and I had argued about it on the drive home. We came to the conclusion that we each would believe what we wanted to believe, and left it at that. At least for the time being…

"How did she die?" I asked. Skinner sighed.

"She was shot in the chest by a psychopath, who had been living in her rather-extensive backyard. Apparently he'd been watching her for some time. Unfortunately, he got away before the F.B.I. arrived on the scene."

"So it wasn't aliens after all," Mulder mused, sounding rather cynical. "Just another dead end." Skinner cleared his throat, shifting nervously in his chair.

"There's something else you need to know about Mrs. Smuskiewicz; she was former Agent Krycek's mother."

"What?!" Mulder and I cried.

"Do you think Krycek is somehow involved with this?" Mulder asked. Skinner shrugged.

"We'll probably never know. I've had my secretary try to contact Krycek with the sad news, but so far she's been unsuccessful at reaching him."

I really wanted to add "_that's because she's an airhead bimbo_," but I held my tongue. I knew Skinner had a thing for his secretary, so it probably wouldn't be wise to insult her.

"Is that all, sir?" I asked politely. The AD shook his head.

"I need your completed report on my desk tonight. That's not a request, agents; it's an order."

"Yes, sir," said Mulder, giving him a little mocking salute. The corners of my mouth twitched in laughter. God, I love Mulder's unique brand of humor. It's just one of the many things I love about him.

"Cute," growled Skinner. "Now get the hell out of my office." We didn't need to be told twice. Mulder and I hurried out of there, sighing with relief when we reached the hallway. We headed for the elevator, but stopped short when someone called Mulder's name.

"Hey, Mulder, I heard they're going to close the X-Files division soon. What are you going to do when you can't chase aliens anymore?" I narrowed my eyes at the dark-haired man, who was accompanied by his chuckling partner. I couldn't wait to set him straight.

"I don't know what rumors you've been hearing, but next time you'd better check your sources before you believe them," I told him icily. "We just came from AD Skinner's office and he never said a thing about closing the X-Files. Right, Mulder?"

"Well, actually, Scully – about that…" Mulder trailed off sheepishly. When he wouldn't look me in the eye, I gasped, realizing the rumor _was_ in fact truth. How could he not tell me? How dare he! If the X-Files division was compromised, I should be the _first _person Mulder should tell, not the last. Did he not value my trust? No, that couldn't be it. Mulder had been the one who had begged me to stay on with him to work on the X-Files. Although he certainly had a funny way of showing his appreciation…

"Whoops, Mr. Spooky forgot to tell Mrs. Spooky they were closing the X-Files," mocked the tactless agent. "I guess he won't be getting any from the Ice Queen tonight." The agent and his partner high-fived each other, sniggering at our livid expressions. What an asshole - this guy did not know when to shut up! Mulder gritted his teeth, I could tell he wanted to punch the guy for insinuating such things about me. Thankfully, he was able to stay relatively calm.

"Hey, you can insult me all you want, but leave Scully out of it!" Mulder stuck up for me; I knew he would. It's kind of cute that he gets so bothered when other agents call me the Ice Queen, or when they falsely claim that we're sleeping together. But sticking up for me won't get him off the hook for not telling me about the X-Files being closed – not by a long shot.

"Mulder, come on," I hissed, taking his hand and pulling in the general direction of the elevator. There were times to pick fights, and times to walk away. This was a time to walk away. "We need to talk." I had just gotten Mulder to turn around when the teasing started up again.

"Ooh, Muldy, your girlfriend wants to talk," the taller of the two agents jeered.

"Heh, he _wishes_ she was his girlfriend. Hell, I wish she was my girlfriend," the shorter agent mused, looking me up and down. "I'd tap that." His fists clenched at his sides, Mulder whipped around so fast I barely had time to think.

"Mulder, don't!" I cried, not wanting him to get in trouble on account of me. "He's not worth it."

"He just harassed you, Scully!" Mulder was almost yelling by now, causing heads to turn in our general direction. I _so_ did not want to cause a scene right now.

"It doesn't matter," I insisted, trying to placate him. "Let it go, Mulder."

Somehow I convinced Mulder to get into the elevator, which was mercifully empty. The doors soon closed and we were alone together. How many times had I imagined that Mulder and I would surrender to our passions in one of those sluggish old F.B.I. elevators? Too many times, that's how many. Blushing, I reluctantly pushed those thoughts away - it would not do to be having them right now.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Scully," Mulder mumbled, almost guiltily. As if it was his fault that the men had said those things about me. He hadn't noticed the blush – good.

"Mulder, they've been saying that stuff about us for seven years," I gently reminded him. "Why does it still bother you?"

"I dunno, it just does, okay?" He mumbled, pausing for a moment. "I just hate it when men disrespect you," Mulder said softly, looking at me with his luminescent green eyes. "You deserve to be treated better than that, Scully." Was that a catch in his voice, or did I imagine it? Oh, Lord, here I was getting lost in his eyes yet again. _Breathe, Dana, breathe,_ I coached myself. I couldn't afford to fall under Mulder's spell, not now. Not when he'd lied to me. That hurt, more than I thought it ever could. Broken trust was not something I took lightly…

"They were only doing it to get a rise out of you," I pointed out, which I figured was probably true. "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is why the hell you didn't tell me about the X-Files being closed down!" Mulder grimaced.

"I should have told you, I know. I'm sorry, Scully. We need to talk, someplace where we won't be interrupted. Do you want to get a bite to eat?" I shook my head.

"I just ate breakfast a little over an hour ago." Then Mulder asked if I wouldn't mind going to over to his apartment to talk, since apparently he'd forgotten to feed his fish. I told him I didn't mind, for it was as good of a place as any.

333

_10: 13 AM, Mulder's apartment _

I arrived shortly after Mulder did, parking on the street behind his silver Ford Taurus. It didn't take long for me to navigate through the familiar complex, stopping at apartment forty-two.

"It's open," I heard Mulder yell from inside. I pushed the door open and came inside, not bothering to lock it behind me. After a quick sweep of the living room, I realized Mulder was nowhere to be seen. His tropical fish, however, were having quite the feeding frenzy. _With Mulder always forgetting to feed them, it's a wonder those fish are still alive,_ I thought with an amused smile.

For all of his intellectual brilliance, Mulder often fell short in the short-term memory department. He tended to forget the little everyday things. Take sleeping for example. Mulder swears that he doesn't get enough sleep because he's an insomniac, but sometimes I wonder if he just forgets to go to bed.

"Mulder?" I called.

"I'm in here," he called from the kitchen area. "Hey Scully, do you want a beer?" Why not? I could use a drink under the circumstances.

"Sure," I answered, taking a seat on his couch. My thoughts drifted, resting on the fact that the X-Files were going to be closed yet again. I was sure that Mulder was going to tell me why, but I didn't really care about that. I was just really shocked that X-Files were actually closing. It gave me a legitimate reason to leave my job at the F.B.I. and never look back. This could be the change that I desperately needed…

While Mulder had been away, I'd spent this past weekend doing some serious thinking. Right now, I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be in my life. I'd been working on the X-Files for seven years – perhaps it was time for a change. Maybe then, with Mulder out of my life, I could go back to dating and find someone worthwhile. It had been so long since I'd been in a true relationship, and to be honest, I craved the intimacy.

But how could I abandon Mulder to his life's work? I owed him so much. We'd supported each other through many difficult times – deaths of family members, my abduction, his near-death experience and recovery, and my cancer were just a few of them. There was also the matter of how much I would miss the close friendship we'd developed over the years.

Yet I couldn't keep up this charade forever. Over the years, I'd done the unthinkable – I'd secretly fallen in love with my partner. It was a serious breach of F.B.I. rules, but that hadn't stopped me. And everyday I saw him, I had to pretend I only saw him as nothing more than a friend. It was agony, it was torture, and it was tearing me up inside because I didn't know if he felt the same way about me. I knew it was not a healthy way for me to live. To this day, I'm still haunted by the memory of what we'd almost done.

Mulder and I'd had one near-kiss two years ago, when I told him that I was planning on leaving the X-Files for good. It was the one time I actually had faint stirrings of hope that he had feelings for me. True, he did go to the ends of the earth to rescue me, but after it was all said and done, nothing changed between us. It was business as usual with Mulder. If anything, he'd become a bit more distant with me. I could only conclude that he thought our almost-kiss was mistake, and that he wanted to remain as friends. But that was something I could not do.

Which choice would be better? To leave the X-Files and never see Mulder again? Never hear his laugh, or feel his touch, if only platonically? Or to stay, and endure this flawed partnership and never truly be satisfied? Trapped in a life without love? Yesterday, I honestly could not decide which choice would be less painful for me. But now that the X-Files were closing, perhaps that was a sign that I needed to leave and move on with my life. I couldn't ignore that this would give me the perfect excuse to do something I'd been seriously considering for awhile.

"Here's your drink." Mulder plopped down on the couch beside me, jarring me out of my pensive state. He passed me an already opened bottle.

"Thanks," I said quietly, taking a sip of beer. Ah, Guinness - my favorite beer. Coincidentally, it was Mulder's favorite too. God, I loathe these little coincidences, these little things that always mock me screaming 'you and Mulder would be perfect for each other'. There is just only so much a woman can take before she breaks, and I could tell I was nearing the breaking point.

"Scully, I owe you an explanation," my partner began. "Skinner called me in for a meeting last week, saying that he was being pressured by the higher-ups to close the X-Files again. He just wanted to warn me, and tell me that he still had some cards to play but not to expect him to be able to help us much." Mulder sighed, and I told myself not to feel sorry for him. After all, he'd brought this on himself.

"...I guess I thought there might still be hope," he rambled on. "I didn't want you to worry about it until it was absolutely necessary. I deliberately withheld information from you, and I apologize for that. This isn't the way I wanted you to find out about this, Scully. Believe me," Mulder said softly. I knew Mulder had said all he needed to say, and I couldn't hold back my frustration any longer.

"You didn't want me to _worry_?!?!" I exploded. "That is the worst excuse I have ever heard, coming from you. After seven years, Mulder, you couldn't confide in me about something that clearly affects us both? Sometimes it's almost like I don't know you anymore." I expected him to deny it, but he surprised me.

"You're right," Mulder said bitterly, locking eyes with me. It was only then that I recognized the raw pain that lurked there, in his emerald depths. "You don't really know me, Scully." So he'd felt it too. That slowly but surely, we'd been growing apart over the past year. Mulder had been deliberately distancing himself from me, I was sure of it. Only I didn't know what I'd done to warrant this cold, harsh treatment. Or why I didn't deserve his trust anymore.

All the sudden I knew just I couldn't deal with this anymore. I was feeling his pain as my own, and it scared me. I was too emotionally involved with Mulder, and it was time to get out while I still could. Before I lost my soul to him completely. _Too late… _Well, perhaps I could still salvage the broken pieces, mend them back together somehow, and start over.

With a heavy heart, I knew what I had to do. My choice was clear to me now – I had to leave the X-Files, D.C., and Mulder. I had to let him go. It was the best thing for both of us. Wasn't it?

End Part I

A/N: Hope you like it so far! Part II is even better, I promise. Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The X-Files doesn't belong to me – it belongs to Chris Carter who better be hard at work on the second XF movie as we speak!

A/N: I'd like to thank _Starclipper01,_ _RitandRoddy, _and_ Caroline_ for their lovely reviews. And now, back to Mulder and Scully!

Part II

(Scully P.O.V.)

I had finally decided that it would be best for me to leave the F.B.I. That was all very well, but now came the hard part. How was I supposed to tell my partner of seven years that I was leaving him? No, not leaving _him_, just leaving. Changing jobs, moving away, starting over. I had no obligation to him; I was free to live my life the way that I wanted to. I realized I'd better just tell him straight that I'm leaving, and if Mulder can't handle that, too bad for him. Soon, he won't be my problem anymore.

A morose-looking Mulder took a swig of beer, glancing over at me out of the corner of his eye. It was now or never.

"Now that I know the X-Files are going to be closed soon, I guess I should ask Skinner for a transfer to Quantico," I murmured.

"What?" He breathed. For the first time since the Federal Building in Dallas exploded, Mulder's panic face surfaced. He knew that if I asked for a transfer, I'd be gone within a few day.

"It's for the best, Mulder," I pleaded.

"No, Scully…you can't leave!" He cried. "We can still investigate X-Files on our own, after hours. We may not have the backing of the bureau, but –"

"Mulder, without their permission, it's over," I interrupted him. "We'd never have enough access, or enough resources – it just wouldn't work." Mulder knew I was right, but he refused to admit it.

"Whatever happened to 'if I quit, they win'? Huh?" He glared at me, his eyes fierce. "You can't break up our partnership! We're MulderandScully, and if you left, it wouldn't be the same without your scientific rationalizations." I shook my head.

"We're not joined at the hip, Mulder." He stared at me intently.

"The X-Files still needs you, Scully."

"Oh, the _X-Files_," I snarled, fed up with him. "That's all this is ever about."

"What else would it be about?" He challenged me, daring me to elaborate.

"Nothing…never mind," I whispered, not wanting to go down that road.

"It's not nothing," Mulder growled. "Why don't you say what's on your mind, _Dana_?" I flinched. Mulder never called me by my first name, especially not to mock me. "It's me, isn't it?" He said angrily. "You've had enough of me - you want to get as far away from me as possible."

"Mulder, no, that's not it!" But I didn't sound very convincing, and Mulder didn't buy it for a minute.

"You're running away from me, aren't you?" He accused me, his eyes downcast. "Don't deny it, because I know the truth. I can see it in your eyes." Sure. Fine. Whatever.

"Mulder, I'm sorry, but I just can't live like this any longer," I confessed. "My life is so unfulfilling right now, and I just think that I would be happier somewhere else." I gave him a pleading look, willing him to understand.

"Somewhere else away from me," he muttered.

"Dammit, Mulder, it's not all about you!" I cried. "I'm doing this for me." He sighed, and in that moment I wished that there'd been an easier way to break the news to him.

"I'm sorry I've made your life so unfulfilling, Scully." He looked up at me with his sad puppy-dog eyes, and my resident stomach butterflies began to flutter again. Once again, I found myself wondering if I had made the right decision to leave. But this was exactly why I had to leave; Mulder was unknowingly affecting me, just by looking at me. It was frightening, and I wanted no part of it. I needed more in my life than a secret longing for my partner, I wanted something tangible and real, and most of all I wanted my feelings to be reciprocated.

"Oh, Mulder…" I sighed, trailing off. I didn't know how else to respond to that. I didn't want to make him feel any worse than he already felt. Because he was right, he had made my life unfulfilling - but I couldn't tell him why. Unrequited love was such a bitch.

"What about our friendship?" He asked. "Couldn't that be reason enough for you to stay?" Mulder knew, just as I did, that he was grasping at straws.

"What friendship?" I demanded. "You've been withholding things from me, and you're always ditching me! We never actually talk - you never confide in me these days. We hardly see each other lately outside of work because you never return my calls on the weekends. Mulder, you've been the one who's been pushing me away." And I wished that I knew why.

"You pushed me away first," he countered.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, bewildered. I wracked my brain but I couldn't remember ever pushing him away, at least not lately.

"You don't know what I mean?" Mulder asked, positively incredulous.

"No, Mulder, I don't," I said honestly, repressing my urge to roll my eyes. "Please enlighten me."

"I'd rather not bring it up," he said, his voice sullen. "Just forget it."

"Fine!" I growled, exasperated with him. Mulder was acting like a spoiled child! I try talking with him, and this is what happens; he shuts me out. I turned away from him, and we sat on the couch in stony silence watching the minutes tick by on his clock. Eventually, Mulder spoke. His voice was quiet, subdued.

"Scully, if you need to leave, then leave. I'm not going to stop you. I only want you to be happy." I could tell by the catch in his voice that he meant every word. Initially, I was surprised at his acquiescence. I guess I'd expected him to continue to fight for me to stay. But in a way I was proud of him – he had finally accepted that he had to let me go.

"Thank you," I said, trying hard to ignore his caring expression. I cleared my throat nervously. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"Now?" Mulder asked softly. I nodded, my eyes beginning water.

"I really just want to take these next few days for myself, to pack and everything." Actually, that wasn't it at all. I just couldn't stand being around Mulder any longer than I had to be. I just didn't want to hurt anymore. I wanted this to be over and done with so I could finally move on.

"Oh," Mulder said dumbly. "Well, if that's what you want. Will you call me when you settle into your new job? Maybe I could come up and visit for a weekend."

I had thought about this long and hard. If I were to leave Mulder, then it would be a clean break or else there was no point in doing it. That meant we had to break all forms of communication with each other. No phone calls, no emails, nothing. It seemed rather harsh, but it was completely necessary for me to get over Mulder. Which was, of course, what all of this was about.

"I-I don't think we should stay in touch anymore," I whispered. Mulder's eyes widened in shock, and I saw the pain the dwelled there; pain that I had caused. I guess he was taking the loss of his partner harder than I'd expected him to. But I didn't feel too guilty; I knew that his pain was nothing compared to what I was feeling.

"But how can I break all contact with you?" He asked. "You've always been there for me, Scully. How am I supposed to get used to living without you?" I should ask myself the same question. But I'd rather not think about that right now. If I thought about how this was the last time that I would ever see him, I would lose it.

"Please, Mulder," I sniffed, willing myself not to cry. I wouldn't break down in from of Mulder, not now. If I broke down, he would try to comfort me and I just couldn't handle being in his arms. "Don't make this more difficult than it already is."

"Okay," he whispered. "I won't." He let out a shaky breath. "I'll really miss you, Scully." Why did he have to say that? _Why?_ Didn't he know what that was doing to me inside?

"I'll miss you too." I allowed myself to stare into his heartbreaking eyes for one last time. I lost myself in their depths, one last time. As I stared into his soul, there seemed to be a connection between us that only I could feel. My lip trembled a bit, when I thought of how much I loved him. Right then I wished that Mulder would move closer, that he would try to kiss me just like he did the last time I threatened to leave. But he didn't. All he did was blink and look away.

"Mulder?"

"Hmm?" He looked over at me, his expression forlorn. There was so much I wanted to say to him before we parted, but all I managed was,

"I'll always remember you, and our time spent working on the X-Files. I enjoyed being your partner – most of the time." He cracked a smile, but there was no humor in his eyes. All I saw was sadness, and another emotion that I couldn't quite identify.

"I could never forget you, Scully." He cleared his throat, and blinked several times. "We had some good memories, didn't we?" I smiled for his benefit.

"We did. I don't regret any of it, Mulder." That was certainly true. The only thing that I regretted was that we never became more than friends.

"I'm glad," he whispered.

"Well," I said uncertainly, "I guess this is goodbye." We shook hands, but Mulder pulled his hand away a bit sooner than what was customary.

"Goodbye, Scully," he said softly. I couldn't believe that this was happening, and the finality of it all. I was actually leaving him for good! But we'd already said our goodbyes; and it was too late to change that. However, I lingered on his couch a bit longer. At that moment, I wished that something would happen to prevent me from leaving. However, I probably should've been more specific in my wish, because that was when Krycek barged into the apartment with his gun drawn.

So now I was stuck on the couch without my weapon, watching as Krycek held Mulder at gunpoint. He was still yelling at Mulder, who had his hands up against the wall.

"It's all your fault!" Krycek screamed. "You let my mother die!" _So that's what this was all about_, I suddenly realized.

"Krycek, we didn't even know she was your mother until this morning!" I exclaimed, trying to get his focus off of Mulder.

"Shut up, Agent Scully," Krycek growled, his eyes still on Mulder. "I'm sure you didn't have anything to do with it. Mulder has always had it out for me, so it had to be his fault!"

"Krycek, I swear I did everything I could to protect your mother," Mulder insisted, sweat rolling down his forehead now. "We had cops watching her house day and night."

"Well they didn't see the killer come through the back, now did they?" Krycek's eyes gleamed evilly. Not knowing what else to do, I stood up, wanting to see how Krycek would react.

"Agent Scully, sit down," he ordered, still keeping his gun on Mulder. I took a few experimental steps toward Mulder. "Stop!" Krycek yelled, this time training his gun on me. Needless to stay, I stopped moving.

"Leave him alone, Krycek!" I said. "We are both equally to blame for what happened."

"Scully, no!" Mulder cried, ever protective of me. "Don't do this," he pleaded. "Don't move."

"Yes, listen to your partner, Scully," Krycek said. "You don't have to die." Mulder sighed with relief. Krycek moved his gun from me back to Mulder. "But he does." Terror coursed through me as I saw what Krycek meant to do to the man that I loved.

"No!" I yelled. I took an unconscious step closer to Mulder.

"Agent Scully, I don't want to have to kill you," threatened Krycek. "I'm going to kill Mulder regardless. But if you move any closer, both of you will die." Mulder shook his head furiously at me. I knew he didn't want me to risk my life for him.

Surprisingly, Krycek had given me an out. All I had to do was stay put, and I would be allowed to live. But could I really sit back and watch as Mulder was killed right before my eyes? I glance over at Mulder. We locked eyes, and I could see that he had already accepted his fate.

I knew I had two choices – I could interfere, or I could stay put. Indecision clouded my ever-logical brain as I looked from Krycek to Mulder. _What was I going to do? _

End Part II

Look for the exciting conclusion in Part III, coming this weekend!

Reviews are always welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The X-Files doesn't belong to me – it belongs to Chris Carter who better be hard at work on the second XF movie as we speak!

Spoilers for the episode 'Triangle' (6X03) in Part III.

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers: _RitandRoddy_, _Gillian Dana_, _Kitri57_, _ChickWithGuns_, and _Dedlock_. You guys are awesome! Here it is, the long awaited ending...

_Leave or Stay? _

Part III

(Scully P.O.V.)

I eyed Krycek warily, keeping careful watch on his gun. Perhaps Mulder and I could still get out of this alive...

"Alex, can we talk about this?" I pleaded. "Did you have a good relationship with your mother? Had you seen her recently before she died? Why do you blame Mulder for her death?"

"My mother was the one person in my life that gave a damn about me," Krycek sneered. "And now that she's gone, I'm all alone in this world. Mulder had spoken with my mother the day before her death – I just know that he's connected to it somehow!"

"But I was there," I protested. "I know for a fact that Mulder didn't do anything to harm your mother…"

"Enough," Krycek screamed at me, interrupting my train of thought as he waved the gun at me. "I'm done talking, Agent Scully," he said, breathing hard. He glared at my partner. "Mulder has to die for what he did to my mother." _Well, there goes that idea, _I thought as my heart sank._ At least I tried, even though I didn't think it would really work. _

So now I was back to square one, back to my original choice. I could go to Mulder, and die, or I could stay where I was, and live. Mulder and I gazed at each other, and he gave me a tiny smile and a nod. My eyes blurred with tears, and I knew that was Mulder's way of saying goodbye to me. _This is not happening_, I thought desperately. I couldn't lose him, not now. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't try and save the life of the man I loved. My love for Mulder was too strong - I just couldn't let him die! Krycek was fingering the trigger, and I knew in an instant what I had to do.

I crossed the room in three swift steps, and blocked Mulder from the line of fire. As I stepped towards him, Mulder took his hands down from the wall and turned to face me. And then I found myself in Mulder's arms. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his musky scent as Mulder held me in his strong arms. I knew at that moment that this was where I was meant to be. In Mulder's tender embrace, I felt safe and protected; even though I knew that we were both seconds away from death.

Mulder rotated our bodies so that he was blocking me from Krycek, but I hadn't crossed the room for him to protect me. I turned us so that we were both facing Krycek, so that we would both be exposed to death. After my bold move, I looked up at Mulder. His calm, loving gaze told me that he seemed to have accepted my decision, for once. Krycek just stared at me in disbelief - I knew he hadn't really expected that I would move.

"Scully, step aside," Krycek whispered, his menacing gun inching closer to us.

"No," I said calmly, as Mulder's arms gave me a reassuring squeeze. His comforting touch gave me strength. "If Mulder dies, then I die with him."

"Very well," said Krycek, but I heard the indecision in his voice. He must not have counted on killing me along with Mulder. I locked eyes again with my partner, and now I finally saw the love for me that resided there. I didn't have much time to dwell on my shock, however, because Mulder slowly leaned down towards me, his lips finding mine.

It was perfect, just like I'd imagined sharing a kiss with Mulder would be – soft, warm, and passionate, along with a touch of desperation. Our kiss said what we hadn't been able to say with words, and I knew that he loved me as much as I loved him. Pity it didn't happen under different circumstances. I wish that it hadn't taken a life-and-death situation to force Mulder and I admit our true feelings for each other. But it had. And now we were about to have our brains blown away. Mulder and I reluctantly pulled our lips apart when Krycek cleared his throat to get our attention. He didn't let me out of his embrace, however. Not that I had any intentions of leaving... It was a glorious feeling, locked in Mulder's arms. My tiny body melded with his, and it was as though we were one person, instead of two. I didn't want it to end, but Krycek had other ideas.

"Any last words?" Krycek sneered. I could tell that he'd recovered from the shock of our kiss, and was annoyed enough to finish this thing.

"I only wish we'd done this sooner," Mulder murmured, tenderly caressing my cheek with his thumb. His eyes had filled with tears, mirroring my own. "I love you, Dana Katherine Scully." How wonderful it was to hear him finally say those coveted three little words! Even if we were about to die in each other's arms, at least I finally knew the truth. Dying didn't seem so terrible anymore, if Mulder was by my side.

"I love you too, Fox William Mulder," I whispered, unable to keep my voice from shaking. "So very much." We clung to each other, waiting for the inevitable.

"One," said Krycek, gracing us with a countdown to death. Mulder's lips found mine again. "Two." I whimpered against Mulder as I heard Krycek's finger slowly pull the trigger. "Three!"

A shot rang out, and we both flinched. Amazingly, I felt no pain. We pulled apart and turned to look at Krycek, but he was no longer standing upright. Instead, he was laying face down on the floor, bleeding from the back of his skull. Skinner stood over Ratboy's body, his gun still smoking. Mulder and I glanced at each other nervously, for we knew our boss had to have seen our blatant display of affection. We were, of course, thrilled to be alive but we also didn't want to be dismissed from the F.B.I. for breaking one of the cardinal rules. I didn't know how much Skinner would be freaked out by walking in on his two favorite agents necking. Hopefully he wouldn't punish us too badly...

"Aren't you two going to thank me?" Skinner asked, breaking the silence. Mulder and I murmured our thanks, still worried how Skinner would react to our kiss.

"Sir, how did you know Krycek was after us?" I asked. Skinner shrugged.

"Call it a hunch. When we found out Krycek was linked to his mother's murder, I thought that you might need me to come and save your asses, and I was right."

"Wait, how was Krycek involved?" Mulder asked, incredulous. Skinner sighed.

"We found some late evidence placing him at the scene of the crime. It turns out that _he _was the psychopath." I groaned in dismay. Krycek murdered his mother, and then he tried to blame it on Mulder – figures.

"Sir, can we have the rest of the day off?" I asked, hoping to God that I wasn't pushing my luck. "Mulder and I are pretty shaken up from all this." Skinner regarded us closely, and I could tell that he wanted to say something but was holding back.

"I'm giving both of you the entire _week_ off." Mulder and I glanced at each other in surprise – it was not like him to be that generous.

"Sir, you don't have to do that," Mulder said, much to my dismay. "Agent Scully and I are perfectly capable of working." As much as I love Mulder, there are times that I wish he would just shut up. This was one of those times. I wanted to spend the rest of the day with Mulder, dammit, but not working with him. I had something a little more fun in mind... Skinner rolled his eyes.

"I know you are, but wouldn't you two rather be doing something else?" He grinned knowingly at us, and Mulder and I both blushed. "It's alright, Agents; your secret is safe with me." We let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir," I said, as Mulder pulled me close. Skinner only chuckled, and said,

"It's about time. Congratulations!" Mulder and I smiled at him, and then blissfully at each other. "Now, get out of here – I'll take care of all this. I don't want to see your sorry asses for another week!"

"Yes, sir!" Mulder said eagerly.

After thanking Skinner profusely, we stepped past Krycek's body and out of the door. "Oh, and Agents?" Mulder and I turned back around. "I was able to pull some strings, so the X-Files won't have to be closed after all!"

"You mean it?" Mulder gasped in delight.

"Would I kid you?" Skinner replied, frowning and adjusting his glasses. He had a good point – kidding is not Skinner's style. We thanked Skinner for his efforts and promised to report in for duty next Monday morning. As Mulder and I left his apartment building, I realized that I had an entire week to spend with my partner! We could do anything we wanted. The possibilites were endless now that we'd confessed our love. Yes, I was rather looking forward to this!

"Hey, Scully, where we gonna go?" Mulder asked me as we stepped outside. Hmm. He'd been forced out of his apartment for awhile, so there was only one alternative.

"How about you come back to my place for awhile?" I suggested. Mulder beamed at me.

"That sounds great." Mulder automatically headed for his car, and I for mine. But I found myself not wanting to be separated from him, even for a little while.

"Mulder, would you want to ride with me?" I asked. He nodded gratefully, seeming to understand my predicament. We drove to my apartment in a comfortable silence, my right hand resting in Mulder's. I knew that he must be sorting through this strange and wonderful turn of events, as I was. I had told him I was leaving him forever, but instead we ended up professing our love for one another at gunpoint. Poor Mulder; he must be so confused! No matter, I would tell him everything eventually.

Thankfully we arrived at my apartment in a record twenty minutes. Mulder and I sprinted up the walkway, and inside double doors. He followed me up a flight of stairs, and I produced a key, placed it in the lock, and turned. The door opened with a click, and we stepped inside. I shut the door behind him, and this time I made sure to lock it. After I'd set my purse down on the table, I fell into Mulder's arms again. It seemed like such a natural place for me to be. We kissed again, long and languid kisses. The desperation was absent, but I didn't miss it one bit. For Mulder and I had the rest of our lives to explore each other – body, mind, and soul.

"Mulder, there's something I need to understand," I said, pulling away slowly. I had to ask him this before we went any further.

"What's that, Scully?" He asked, stroking my hair.

"How come after we almost kissed and you rescued me from Antarctica, nothing ever changed between us? Why didn't you tell me the way you felt about me?" I watched him closely, curious to see what his reaction would be.

"I did tell you, Scully," Mulder said quietly. "Don't you remember? About a year ago I told you that I loved you. At the time, I was recovering in the hospital after you rescued me from that ship, the _Queen Anne_, in the Bermuda Triangle." Whatever I'd expected him to say, it certainly hadn't been this.

"Mulder, you couldn't have expected me to believe you," I scoffed. "You'd just told me that we'd been on that ship in 1939, and that I saved the world." I giggled. "I'd say you were pretty doped up."

"But I wasn't doped," he insisted. "When I told you that I loved you, I meant it." Mulder stared intently into my eyes, willing me to believe it was true. Crap. This was definitely not good.

"So all this time, you thought that I didn't love you back," I breathed, finally realizing the truth. He'd been just as tortured as I'd been for the past year, and he'd never said a word. To be fair, Mulder must've been hurting even _more_ than I had been, because at least I'd had faint the hope that he secretly cared for me. Poor Mulder - he had thought I rejected him outright! Now I understood why he had slowly withdrawn from our friendship.

"Pretty much, yeah," sighed Mulder. "I confessed my love for you, and all you could do was roll your eyes and say "oh, brother". What was I supposed to think, Scully?"

"Mulder, I thought you were joking," I said weakly, horrified by what this critical miscommunication had almost cost us. "If I'd known you were being serious, my answer would've been quite different." He groaned.

"I've been so stupid, feeling sorry for myself all this time. I thought I wasn't good enough for you, Scully." he muttered, looking away from me. "I thought that, for whatever reason, you didn't want me."

"I'm afraid that's impossible," I reassured him, turning his face back towards me and planting a kiss on his forehead. "I'll never stop wanting you, or loving you – ever."

"Oh good," he sighed. "So I guess this means you're not moving away?" I bopped him in the arm, and we both burst out laughing.

333

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, talking, and making out, only stopping for meals. Mulder and I caught up on almost everything that we'd missed in each other's lives over the past year. After dinner, I poured us two glasses of red wine, and we sat out on my balcony to watch the sunset. Mulder put his arm around me, and I couldn't imagine what my life would've been without him had I moved away. I silently thanked Krycek for interfering with our lives, because I knew now that I could never live without Mulder. Not by a long shot. When the sun finally disappeared, Mulder looked up at the starry sky and sighed.

"You know, the F.B.I. will have cleared all traces of Krycek from my apartment by now. Would you mind driving me back?" _Mulder, don't go!_ I thought wildly. _Not now, I don't think I could bear sleeping alone. _

"Do you really want to leave?" I asked him softly, a little hurt. I thought that after what had happened today, he would want to stay the night with me.

"No," he admitted, and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. "It's just that there's nowhere for me to sleep."

"Oh, that's not a problem," I told him, grinning. "You can sleep in my bed."

"But then where will you sleep?" Mulder asked with innocent eyes. I giggled in amusement. Surely he wasn't this dense?

"With you, you dork!" Mulder's eyes widened when he realized what I was suggesting.

"Scully, are you sure?" He asked softly.

"I'm sure, Mulder," I grinned. "I've never been sure of anything in my whole life."

"Just checking," he said, winking devilishly as he picked me up bridal-style. "Because once we do this, there's no going back. I'm not going to want to let you go." I smiled happily up at him.

"I'm counting on it." Mulder carried me back to my bedroom, and gently set me down on my bed. He slipped off my shoes, and kicked off his own. Then he carefully climbed on top of me, careful not to crush me with his weight. I could barely breathe as he looked down at me with smoldering eyes; the tension between us was maddening.

"This is forever, Scully; I promise you that," he breathed. The best part about his promise was that I knew I could believe him. My trust in Mulder was repaired again, after we'd admitted our feelings. It felt so good to know that we could trust each other. It was just like the old days, only this time we were taking our bond of trust to a whole new level.

_This day just keeps getting better and better,_ I thought with a sigh. I knew that we would have plenty of issues to sift through, starting with our relationship at work. This was completely new ground for Mulder and I, but I was confident that we could make this work. Our relationship had endured much worse, and we'd gotten through it. Think how much more we'd be able to handle now that we knew we truly and deeply loved one another! Now we were partners in the true sense of the word. That thought made me giddy.

"Forever," I echoed just before our lips met. Then we surrendered to our desires that been seven years in the making, and Mulder made all of my fantasies pale in comparison .

The End

A/N: Well, there you have it! Mulder and Scully are together forever – for now, anyways. I might do a sequel at some point, but not right now. Thanks to all my readers, who love these two characters as much as I do!


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